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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami

OH MY GOD

I literally had to take 10 minutes to myself after reading this Graphic
Novel. I finished it during a lunch hour at work and I couldn't interact with
my co-workers. It was not possible. I don't know if I am unique in how strong a
chord this novel touches, but I was really very moved.

So the story is this: a man gets a dog for his daughter. The dog is clearly
a shiba inu,
which I have. The book is narrated from the dog's perspective. The dog is
eternally childlike and refers to the father as daddy throughout. It has the
endless optimism that dogs posses - every day is the best day ever. Well the dad ends up going
through a hard time - unemployment, divorce, heart problems, his daughter
leaves him - the things pile up. He keeps the dog as his companion though. I
don't know what else to say, you can see where this is going - the man living
out of his car traveling with his dog... sick... without any help in the
world... until he dies, although the dog lives on, and is loyal, until the end.

The dog's juvenile tone really give this a sense of raw emotion. The dog
believes the world revolves around his beaten down 'daddy,' and looks up to him
with un-ending adoration. This graphic novel strikes a resonating and emotional
chord. It really gets at the heart of what makes us happy, what makes us human,
and what makes us family. Check this one out if you want a simple tale that
will stay with you.